Friday, May 29, 2015

I hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day weekend last week. Is it me or do the elusive three day weekends seem to go by faster than the regular ones? Saturday morning started off with a walk in the pretty weather with Cooper. He wore his sunglasses for the first time!
He warmed up to them quickly…

Monday my parents cooked and we spent the majority of the day with them, Kaylen, Daniel, Nana and Don Don eating, sitting on the front porch talking, napping, and playing with baby. The weather was yucky so we had a nice, relaxing day together.

I noticed a trend on social media over the weekend (well, maybe I only noticed it because we have lots of friends that are/were military). Lots of people, myself included, were posting pictures and articles about Memorial Day and more specifically the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. It kind of amazes me that people don’t seem to know the difference. What amazes me more is that people find it appropriate to say “Happy Memorial Day”. Remind me what is happy about it. Google pictures of military funerals or children receiving folded flags or women weeping at the feet of tombstones at Arlington or Marines huddled together crying over a buddy’s boots, rifle, and kevlar. THAT is why it’s not “Happy Memorial Day”.

It’s very important to Chris and I to teach Cooper the importance of days like Memorial Day and Veterans Day. But I wonder how in the world we’re going to explain it to him so he grasps it. How do we teach him about that kind of sacrifice? How do we explain what Chris was a part of? What deployments were like. The life we had in Jacksonville. How do we make him understand what boot camp graduation was like or how it felt seeing his dad step off the bus after 7 months apart? How do we put that into words? We want him to understand everything the flag represents and we want him to respect it and the men and women that have fought for it.

Friday, May 22, 2015

First let me let you admire the cuteness that is Cooper. Go ahead. I'll wait:

-My son is four month old. Even after 18 weeks it still sounds weird to say “my son”.
Being a parent is so back and forth. Sometimes I feel like I have it all together and under control. Like Monday night I actually cooked dinner, gave CT a bath while the chicken baked, ATE dinner while holding him in one arm and watching Dancing with the Stars, cleaned up the kitchen, took my make-up off AND washed my face, and successfully got him to put himself to sleep around 9:45 and then laid in bed and read some of my book. When I turned the light out I thought “…this was a good day.”
Then sometimes I feel like I’m drowning and have no earthly idea what I’m doing and it would just be better to let my mother raise the poor baby because clearly HIS mother is an idiot.

-Speaking of mother, MY mother one night few weeks ago handed me $100 to buy ME some clothes. [I know. Best mom ever.] I have $50 left. It drives me nuts how when I go out with NO money I want EVERYTHING I see, but when I actually HAVE money allotted for clothes I can’t find anything I like enough to buy.

-I’m seriously seriously thinking about chopping my hair off. It’s getting thin and falling out everywhere (thank you, Cooper), and he loves to grab ahold of it. This is a HUGE deal for me. My hair is my security blanket but I want something easier and quicker. It has not been TOUCHED by a straightener in a few weeks just because it’s faster in the mornings to spritz some gel in it and go curly. I know it’s just hair and will grow back if I don’t like it but mine doesn’t grow very fast at all. Here’s what I’m thinking and I am THIS close:

-Lately I’ve been having a reoccurring dream. I’ve been dreaming about tornadoes. Or more specifically preparing for them. In each dream I know it’s coming and my family and I are getting ready and huddling in the storm shelter watching the news or listening to the radio. It’s a little TOO real and TOO similar to previous events. I’m just so thankful that spring tornado season is almost over. The weathermen keep talking about how it’s been so quiet this year and I’m thinking, “PLEASE shut up about it!”

-It’s Memorial Day weekend. There’s been a lot floating around facebook about it but in case you haven’t seen it and don’t know, Memorial Day is a day set aside to honor those who died in service to our country, NOT living veterans. It’s sweet that you might want to thank our veterans (because they deserve all of it) but don’t. I saw it worded perfectly in an article and I’ll paraphrase: “Memorial Day is a day we honor the fallen. Veterans Day is a day we honor those that made it home.” Let’s enjoy our long weekend and cookouts all the while remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

I’m late to the party but I couldn’t NOT do a Met Gala post. I LOVE Met Gala fashion. It’s a chance to take a big step out of the box and wear something risky, avant garde, dramatic, or just weird. The theme this year was China: Through the Looking Glass. A lot of celebs really ran with the theme and I’m so glad they did. Here are some of my favorites.

Anne Hathaway in Ralph Lauren: Loved this the minute I saw it.
It’s so simple and yet striking. Love the metallic gold AND the hood!

Kendall Jenner in Calvin Klein: I was surprised that I liked this so much!
I thought it was a subtle nod to the theme and the color is gorgeous on her.

Emma Roberts in Ralph Lauren: Again with the green! It’s simple but dramatic.

Bee Shaffer in Alexander McQueen: Possibly my favorite from the night.
Gorgeous cut and color and love the blossom detail.

Kate Hudson in Michael Kors: Girl can’t wear a bad dress lately.

Karen Elson: Well, hello! She went literal with the theme and I couldn’t love it more.
Red tulle, headdress and all!
You can only do this at the Met Gala!!

Elizabeth Banks in Michael Kors: An unexpected color!
Love this on her.

Poppy Delevigne in Marchesa: Love the champagne color and the romance of it.

Hailee Steinfeld: She looks so classy and age appropriate.
And I love the bracelets on each wrist.

Fan Bingbing: YES. All of the yes.
Call me crazy but I'm all about this. Met Gala done right.

Notice who’s NOT on my list? Beyonce. I’m sick to death of sheer. I’m tired of seeing women walking the red carpet nearly nude and acting like they’re doing something edgy and shocking. It’s been done. Move on. Wear something conservative and yet amazing and really shock people. Looking at you too, Jennifer Lopez.
And can we talk about how VERY similar Kim Kardashian’s dress is to Beyonce’s from last year? But it WOULD make sense seeing as Kanye picks her outfits and he clearly has a thing for Beyonce. And I would be seriously amiss if I didn’t mention Ms. SJP. This woman ALWAYS steps up and shows out at the Met and she does it FABULOUSLY.

Friday, May 8, 2015

With my very first Mother’s Day coming up, I’ve
been reflecting on my own mother. In particular I’ve been thinking
about things she taught me that I would like to teach Cooper when he’s a
little older.

I realize some of these I’ll NEVER teach Cooper
because he is of the male variety but here are just a few things my
mother taught me:

-To worry about nothing, but pray about everything.

-The difference between friends and acquaintances.

-How to shave my legs. (Thanks for that one.)

-That there is not a problem that does not have a solution.

-What would happen when I “became a lady” around the age of twelve.

-How to keep my baby alive.

-To trust my woman’s instinct.

-To never turn down free food.

I’ve always known I need my mother (well, before
and after I got out of my short-lived teen angst phase), but I never
knew how much until I became a mother myself. Even at twenty-seven I
don’t know what I would do without her.